Miami judge off case after having photo taken of mayor testifying in his courtroom

A judge has removed himself from a city lawsuit case after Miami’s police union complained he had an aide snap a photo of Mayor Tomás Regalado testifying in his court.

Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Spencer Eig agreed to recuse himself in a lawsuit filed by the Fraternal Order of Police against Miami. The union alleges the city violated the state’s Sunshine Law by allowing “unauthorized individuals” to attend a close-door meeting two years ago.

Last month, Regalado was testifying in Eig’s courtroom when a courtroom employee used a camera phone to snap a photo of the mayor, on the witness stand, testifying next to Eig.

An FOP lawyer then asked that Eig remove himself from the case, citing a fear that the photo op meant the judge might harbor “bias and favoritism toward the city.”